Sri Lanka and China sign an agreement for Chinese-funded reconstruction of 14 major bridges damaged or destroyed by Cyclone Ditwah.
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka and China have signed an agreement to reconstruct 14 major bridges damaged or destroyed by Cyclone Ditwah, marking another stage in the country’s post-disaster infrastructure rebuilding programme.
The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development in Colombo in the presence of Chinese Ambassador Wei Huaxiang and Ministry Secretary Asiri Karunawardana.
The project will be financed with Chinese assistance and is intended to restore key transport links affected by the cyclone.
Cyclone Ditwah caused extensive flooding, landslides and infrastructure damage across parts of Sri Lanka, leaving roads, bridges, rail infrastructure and communities requiring major reconstruction.
The scale of the damage prompted the Government to accelerate medium- and long-term rehabilitation programmes involving the Road Development Authority and Sri Lanka Railways.
Earlier Cabinet documents also acknowledged shortages of technical personnel available to prepare designs, estimates and supervise reconstruction of civil and railway infrastructure damaged by the cyclone, prompting moves to obtain additional consultancy support.
Reconstructing bridges is particularly important for communities where damaged crossings can isolate villages, increase travel times and disrupt the movement of agricultural produce, public transport and emergency services.
The latest agreement also illustrates the continuing role of China in Sri Lanka’s infrastructure sector, although the current project is specifically focused on disaster recovery rather than new large-scale development.
Further details, including the locations of all 14 bridges, construction schedules and the total value of the Chinese assistance, were not included in the initial public reports.
